Garment-hanger.



1 A. WELUNGTON.

GARMENT HANGER.

APPLICATION Fl LED DEC. 14. 1915.

Patented Mar. 27, 1917.

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JAMES A. WELLINGTON,

on ENSLEY, ALAB 1e. WALKER, or n AMA, ASSIGNOR or NSLEY, ALABAMA.

ONE-HALF TO CHARLES GARMENT-HANGER.

Application filed December 14, 1915. Serial No.

To all whom it may concern:

e it known that I, Lines A. WELLING- TON, a citizen of the United States of merica, residing at Ensley, in the county of Jefferson and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Garmentllangers, of which the following is a specification.

y invention relates to a garment hanger for pants, skirts and like garments, which is adapted to be formed of bent wire and is designed so as to provide a garment clamping means into which the garment can be readily and quickly inserted which will positively grip and hold the garment in position.

1y invention comprises a hanger member and a clamp member hinged to the hanger and provided with a clamp arm which normally hangs clear of the garment receiving space in the hanger member and which in operating position is swung upwardly and inwardly against a part of the hanger member so as to press the garment against the same and hold it not only with a spring ac tion but also with a wedging action due to the fact that the clamp arm is set at such an angle upwardly that under the downward pull of the garment it will grip it the more tightly the greater its weight.

ly invention may be readily adapted for a combination coat and trousers or skirt hanger, and for like wearing apparel.

y invention further embodies the novel details of construction which in their preferred embodiments are illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 presents in front elevation the hanger in open position.

Fig. 2 is a side view of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 shows the hanger with the parts in operating position.

ig. 4 is a plan view of the catch on the clamp member.

Fig. 5 is a View similar to Fig. 3, showing a modification of my invention.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the drawings.

In the embodiment of my invention illus trated, the hanger member comprises a hook portion 1 having a vertical shank member 2 which is formed of bent wire. At the lower bent upwardly at 4 and then to the front at right angles in a vertical plane to form the arch 5 and vertically downwardly at 6 to a x Specification of Letters Patent.

bends 11 the ends tion, see Fig. 2,

Patented Mar. 27, 1917. 66,766.

point substantially below the level. of the member 3. Here the wire is bent at right angles'and horizontally to the left and carried cross-wise of the hanger to form the member 7 to which the clamp member is con nected. At the left hand end of the member the wire is bent upwardly over and down wardly to the right'forming parts 6, 5, 4: and 3, corresponding to similar parts at the right hand end of the member, and the end of the wire is suitably attached at 8 to the shank 2. By this means the hanger member comprises two parallel members 7 and 3, 3 which are joined by arch members 4, 5 elevation, the outer legs 6 being longer than the inner legs l so as to drop the member 7 substantially below the members 3. he arches 5 are struck on a wide enough curve so as to space the members 4: and 6 suiliciently to receive between them any garment that it may be desired to hang.

he clamp member is also formed of bent metal and comprises a clamp arm 9 having right angle bends at its ends forming the side arms 10. which lie in the same plane and which are given a complete turn at 11 about each end of the member 7 so as to hinge the clamp arm 9 thereto. From the 12 of the wire are brought together in a plane at acute angles to the plane of the parts 9 and 10 and substantially at right angles to each other and are twisted together at 13, one end being extended beyond 13 and bent over at right angles to form a catch member 1 1 which is laterally indented at 15 so as to form a hook portion adapted to receive and engage the shank 2 of the hanger member. lVhen the hanger is in. openposiits parts 12 hang substantially in line with the parts 6, while the arms 10 and the catch 14: are inclined outwardly. As the clamp member is swung upwardly, its clamp arm 9 swings over and against the members 3 of the hanger frame while its catch 14 will spring past the shank 2 and interlock therewith, such interlocking taking place only after the arm 9 has been forced under spring tension against the hanger frame so as to effect a spring clamping action upon the garment 16 (Fig. 3). It will be noted that in clamping position the arms 10 are disposed inwardly and upwardly at an incline so that they are capable of acting with a wedging effect responsive to the downward pull upon them of the garment. The manner of attaching the two parts of the and 6 in side shank 2 and hanger will hold them against endwise displacement so that the catch may be relied upon to snap into engagement hold the parts in operating position.

It will be at once evident, from a consideration of Fig. 3, that, upon releasing the clasp, the clamp member will tend to spring outwardly and automatically release the garment, thus making extremely simple the removal of the garment and making it possible to do this without taking down the hanger or having to grasp or manipulate the device. It will be equally apparent from Fig. 2 that when in open position the garment hanger is left free and fully open to receive the garment and therefore does not require special adjustment nor any handling of the garment to enable it to be inserted and clamped in the hanger.

If desired, as shown in Fig. 5, boards or metal plates 17 may be applied to the cross members 3 and 9 so as to increase the extent of the surface contact of the hanger with a garment and avoid creasing the latter. In like manner, as indicated in Fig. 1, a coat hanger attachment 18 may be formed of bent wire and readily applied to the shank 2 if desired.

The coils 11 which hinge the clamp member to the hanger member act like a coil spring to increase the spring tension on the clamp arm 9 when in operating position and thereby to increase its effectiveness for holding garments that vary in thickness from the maximum to the minimum.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

1. In a garment hanger, a hanger member and a clamp member hinged together, the hanger member comprising a shank with suspension means and two parallel arms connected overhead, the inner arm being connected to the shank and disposed on a level above the outer arm, the clamp member being hinged to said outer lower arm and having a clamp arm which is inclined upward in clamping position and adapted to engage said inner upper arm of the hanger member, and means to secure the members in operative position, substantially as described.

2. In a garment hanger, a hanger member and a clamp member hinged to the hanger member, the hanger member comprising a suspension shank, a cross arm connected to the shank, and a support "for the clamp member, which support is connected to said member near the ends of its cross arm and spaced outwardly from and disposed below its said cross arm, the clamp member comprising a clamping arm hinged to said support on the hanger member and copies of this patent may be obtained for with the five cents each,

inclined upward into position to engage the said cross arm when in clamping position, substantially as described.

8. In a. garment hanger, ber and a clamp member hinged to the hanger member, the hanger member comprising a suspension shank, a cross arm connected to the shank, and a support for the clamp member, which support is connected to said member and spaced outwardly from and disposed below said cross arm, the clamp member comprising a clamping arm hinged to said support on the hanger member and inclined upward when in clamping position to engage the said cross arm, and a catch means to interlock the members in clamping position, substantially as described.

4. In a garment hanger, a

a hanger memhanger member comprising two spaced substantially parallel arms connected at their ends by arch shaped connections and disposed at difterent levels, a clamp member hinged to the lower arm and comprising a clamp arm adapted to swing across the space between the arms and to assume an upward inclined position to engage the upper arm, a suspension means for the hanger member, and a catch connected to the clamp member and adapted to engage said suspension means to hold the parts in clamped position, substantially as described.

5. In a garment hanger, a hanger member and a clamp member, the hanger member being "formed of bent wire and comprising a hook, a vertical hook shank and two spaced horizontal and parallel cross arms connected at their outer ends by arched portions of the wire, and a hanger member also formed of bent wire and comprising a clamp arm having its ends bent at right angles and wound about the ends of one arm of the hanger member and then brought together, one of said ends forming a catch disposed to engage the hook shank when the clamp arm swings into engagement with the other of said arms of the hanger member.

6. A garment hanger comprising a hanger member and a clamp member; the hanger member comprising a hook shank and a presser arm, against which the clamp member acts, and bearings for the clamp member spaced outwardly from and below said presser arm; and the clamp member comprising a clamp arm hinged to said bearings and inclined upwardly when in clamping position to engage said presser arm, and a catch on the clamp member which engages said shank above said presser arm.

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature.

J AMES A. WELLINGTON.

Witness:

NOMIE WELSH.

by addressing the Commissioner of Patents,

Washington, D. 0." 

